[4] She did not have a lot in common with her peers and usually spent her time at home as a teen, working under the guidance of her mother. Darnell was born into a big family, but her parents marriage was an unhappy one. Although Darnell fought her way out of the dark, she didnt escape unscathed. After the remains had been in storage for ten years, her daughter asked that they be interred at the Union Hill Cemetery, Chester County, Pennsylvania, in the family plot of her son-in-law. Let us know your favorite Linda Darnell film in the comments below! After 13 years, she was finally ready to spread her wings and fly. The late John Ritter plays Jack Tripper, Joyce DeWitt as Janet Wood, and Suzanne Somers as Chrissy [] More, Guy Williams is a popular television actor who rises to prominence during the late 1950s. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. After going to rehab, she started to recover a little, but Robertson still had to suffer the brunt of her instability. Born 1947 and died 1970. Your email address will not be published. In her theater work, she wasn't outstanding, but her mother was right behind her everywhere she went. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. In the summer of 1940, Darnell began working on The Mark of Zorro (1940), in which she again co-starred as Power's sweetheart in a role for which Anne Baxter was previously considered. "[1]:69 As a punishment, she was loaned out to another studio for a supporting role in a B movie called City Without Men (1943). [30] In 1963, Darnell was granted a divorce from Robertson following an outburst in the courtroom, where she accused her third husband of fathering the baby of a Polish actress. What made Rawhide [] More, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo may have been the main characters of the hit 1950s series I Love Lucy, but the show wouldnt have been nearly as successful without their landlords, Fred and Ethel Mertz. The landowner of the New Mexico ranch refused to have Darnells ashes scattered on his land. She was also a regular at the Hollywood Canteen. [22] Regardless, she was surprised to find out that she had been cast, because she had been intensively rehearsing for Captain from Castile at the time. According to reports at the time, the Hurds wanted the most dreadful ritualistic thing of depositing her ashes. Darnells family disliked the idea so much that they decided not to follow her final wishes. Her parents marriage was not happy and she grew up shy and reserved amongst a lot of domestic turmoil. She thought Linda was the only one of her four children with any real potential as an actress. [1]:51, After appearing in several small films, Darnell was cast in her first big-budget film in May 1940, appearing again opposite Tyrone Power in Brigham Young (1940), which was shot on location in mid 1940 and was regarded as the most expensive film 20th Century Fox had yet produced. Incredibly, even the notoriously immoral Hollywood studios thought that Darnell was too young, and turned her away. Ironically, she had been watching Star Dust (1940) on television, which was one of the films that set her career in motion, when the house caught fire. "[1]:17 Despite some financial problems, Darnell insisted that she had had a joyful childhood and loving parents. To combat this, Darnell initially claimed she was actually 17, and her studio bumped her up another two years and publicized her as a full-grown 19 year old. Not, only that, but her coveted figure started gaining weight. But just as things seemed to be looking up, Darnell deceived her husband once again. After this, her career began to slow down. Darnell was found next to the burning living-room sofa and was transferred to the burn unit at Chicago's Cook County Hospital with burns over 80% of her body. Darnell was a model as a child, and progressed to theater and film acting as an adolescent. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Badly burned over 90% of her body she died the following day in the hospital. Theater". Stories about child actresses seldom have happy endings, and Linda Darnells case is no different. On the set, in the publicity office, wherever you go, everyone says you're wonderful. And finally Merle Roy Robertson, an airline pilot, from 1957 to 1962. On the bright side, however, her marriage crisis was avertedfor now. Alas, not even a darling baby girl could change her mind. To this day, it inspires many Western TV shows and films and fans are eager to spread the word about the show to a new generation. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Her beauty and talent made her one of the top female stars at Twentieth Century-Fox. At 11, she was modeling clothes, giving her age as 16. I stepped into a fabulous land where, overnight, I was a movie star. Facts Verse Linda Darnell appeared in 46 films over the course of her career. In fact, he himself entertained multiple women whenever he could. The fire occurred at the house of her former secretary. 3. Even after Darnell made a name for herself in Hollywood, her mother was still nagging her and watching her every career move. Here below we have compiled a list of beautiful photographs of Linda Darnell from her career. For a while, that is. This disappointment caused Linda to take to the bottle in order to drink away her sorrows. [3] Loretta Young was originally assigned to play the role, but she demanded a salary which the studio would not give her. Death. One undeniable fact about the actress Linda Darnell is that she had terrible taste in men. Even worse, the films reception was very disappointing, which left Darnell crushed. [3] Darnell was a model by the age of 11 and was acting on the stage by the age of 13. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. "Linda Darnell, Just 16, Achieves Film Stardom In A Woman's Role" by Robbins Coons. Once again, Darnell got her divorce papers ready, and once again she faced betrayal. Her tragic death. [1]:141 In response, Darnell resorted to charity work, opening facilities accommodating 30 girls in the neighborhood of Rome in 1955. Linda's weakness for Black men was hardly a secret. Unfortunately for him, this just wasnt enough. Her next film was a Western, Two Flags West (1950). Darnell was to pay him $125,000, an amount that almost bankrupted her. Popular, by Not only did she have to work under the notoriously intimidating director Otto Preminger, but she also had to work with her cameraman husband Marley. Linda Darnell. She was put on a diet and assigned a voice coach to learn to speak with a British accent. There was a huge buzz around Linda, especially since she had been described by various movie magazines as "the most physically perfect girl in Hollywood". It gives you a false sense of security. The next seven years arent going to be the same.. So when the girl turned 14, Pearl tried to turn her into a film actress. Linda Darnell (born Monetta Eloyse Darnell; October 16, 1923 April 10, 1965) was an American actress. Instead, Darnell worked on stage to support her familyand even the industry started to get concerned. A year later, they signed her on.and the downward spiral began. She begins to cast in lower-budget films that, while doing well at the box office, feels like a step down for Linda. [11] The film was hailed as one of the "most original entertainment idea[s] in years" and boosted Darnell's popularity, who was nicknamed "Hollywood's loveliest and most exciting star". At the encouragement of her mother, she made her first film in 1939, and appeared in supporting roles in big-budget films for 20th Century Fox throughout the 1940s. The rest of the decade saw her taking on a range of characters that displayed her talent beyond mere good looks while also not straying too far from the seductress persona that she'd cultivated. By the mid-1960s, she had started appearing as a nightclub singer. But Mother had always wanted it for herself, and I guess she attained it through me.". Linda Darnell was just another name on the list of women Howard Hughes pursued, and he certainly had that reputation as he went after many a Hollywood actress, Ava Gardner to name just one. How old is Linda Darnell? She took this to the extreme, ignoring her other children in favor of developing Lindas career in acting. She went to California and when the studio found out how young she really was, she. And so [] More, Anna May Wong made history during Hollywoods Golden Age by becoming the first notable Asian-American actress in the industry. Bridal gowns in the 1960s mostly featured high-waisted empire silhouettes and up-styles were definitely in. After her daughter jumped, Darnell's secretary stood on the window ledge, calling for help. They rushed her to the hospital but it was already too late. She died on August 30, 1970 at age 22. Darnell agreed to separate from her husband Marley on July 19, 1950, but there was a heavy price to payliterally. Liebmann attempted to save the marriage by adopting a baby named Alfreda, but the marriage ended nevertheless on grounds of incompatibility, and Liebmann kept the girl. Therefore, when she passed, her loved ones had her body cremated and tried to put her to rest the way she had wanted, but things didnt work out so well. "[1]:43, Since the beginning of her career at 20th Century-Fox, Darnell had been very positive about her frequent co-star Tyrone Power. Darnells studio enlisted the help of the FBI to find the culprit, only to reveal a high schooler with too much time on their hands. Were always looking for your input! [1]:8283, Released in 1944, the film provided her a new screen image as a pin-up girl. She never attended her high school graduationor university. [16] Zanuck insisted that she take the role, but she was replaced by Ann Rutherford after 12 days of shooting. "Linda Darnell Newest 'Cinderella' In Hollywood" by. The next seven years aren't going to be the same. A childhood spent looking for the limelight left poor Darnell lonely and isolated. Linda Darnell, the woman called "almost too beautiful," left behind an estate of only $10,000, which went to her sixteen-year-old girl. Being in the public eye from a young age did a lot of damage to Darnells confidence. Darnell was born in Dallas, Texas, as one of four children (excluding her mother's two children from an earlier marriage) to postal clerk Calvin Roy Darnell and the former Margaret "Pearl" Brown. Olga Kuzminichna Urbenin was a seductress and a femme fatale, and Darnell welcomed the challenge of playing her with open arms. born monetta eloyse darnell in dallas, texas, on october 16, 1921; died from injuries sustained in a house fire in glenview, illinois, on april 10, 1965; third of five children of a postal clerk; attended public schools in dallas; attended central high school in los angeles and had studio tutoring; married peverell marley (a cinematographer), on [1]:65 Meanwhile, she was considered for the female lead in Swamp Water (1941), but Anne Baxter was later assigned the role. Im counting on my Russian girl to give me a new start.. And on the other, she was becoming old news to the silver screen audience. I pleaded for something to do, but nothing happened. In a 1939 interview, she expressed her interest in starring opposite Power in Johnny Apollo (1940). The character Darnell played in Summer Storm was nothing like the good-natured and innocent roles she was used to playing. The fire starts in the living room of the house and Darnell traps on the second floor by heat and smoke. On top of the big age gap, Marley also introduced Darnell to bad habits that changed her for the worse. Here you'll find all collections you've created before. I had no great talent, and I didn't want to be a movie star particularly, but Mother had always wanted it for herself, and I guess she attained it through me. Having experience with Hughes herself, Miller told her that Hughes had a short attention span when it came to women and that hed probably dump her in no time. But her new lease on life was tragically cut short. [31] She was promised alimony of $350 monthly until July 15, 1964, and then $250 until September 15, 1967. "[1]:72. Instead, her ashes were kept in the office of a Chicago cemetary for the next decade. They found Darnell next to the burning living room sofa. [1]:7071. [1]:29 Arriving in California alongside Mary Healy and Dorris Bowdon in February 1938, Darnell initially was rejected by film studios and was sent home because she was declared "too young. Zanuck. She was trapped on the second floor of the home by heat and smoke, as the fire had started in the living room. The Los Angeles Times states that she was visiting her friend and once-secretary Jeanne Curtis' home in Chicago and that they had stayed up late to watch a television broadcast of Darnell's own 1940 film, "Star Dust." She was the middle child of four siblings. "Actress Linda Darnell Granted Divorce From 'Rude' Husband", "Perfect Beauty Made This Girl, 16, A Star in Her Second Movie", "The Big Idea Behind MY DARLING CLEMENTINE", "KRAMER IS SEEKING BRANDO FOR MOVIE; Producer Would Have Actor Star in 'Frenzy' -- Brooklyn Girl Signs for U.-I. Sadly, she never made it. Returning to Hollywood, she accepted offers to appear in films from her past loversHughes and Mankiewicz. In addition to television, Darnell returned to the stage. [32][33][34], After her death, a man who said that he was Darnell's fianc identified her body. No one expects to last forever in this business. Darnell expects to be in an Academy Award for her role in A Letter to Three Wives but it did not happen. But when she looked back to make sure Darnell was right behind her, there was nobody there. [1]:99, Darnell worked long hours at the studio during filming, and according to her older sister she started loathing Preminger, which did not ease production. Judging her performance in Sweet and Low-Down (1944), in which she co-starred with Lynn Bari, one critic of the Los Angeles Examiner wrote, "Lynn comes off the best because she has more of a chance to shine. [5] With production beginning in April 1939, she was featured in her first film, Hotel for Women (1939), which had newspapers immediately hailing her as the newest star of Hollywood. But Darnells desirable youth wasnt going to last forever. Shortly after its release, she was put on suspension for refusing a role in the film The Guy Who Came Back (1951) opposite Paul Douglas and Joan Bennett because it felt "too similar." However, they never expected this so-called punishment to backfire. The press reported that "Linda Darnell and Twentieth Century-Fox aren't on the best of terms at the moment. Although a well-loved figure on the 20th Century-Fox lot among the cast, crew, and lot workers, it was reported that Darnell made only one good friend in Hollywood, actress-singer Ann Miller, whom she met at a Catalina Island benefit. However, she soon learned that venturing out on her own wasnt going to be as easy as shed thought. [32][33][1]:177179, Darnell's body was cremated; she had wanted her ashes scattered over a ranch in New Mexico, but because of a dispute with the landowners that was not possible. Just a few years after her debut, Darnell suddenly found herself struggling to find work. [32][33], The women urged the secretary's daughter to jump from the second-floor window. [1]:2627, In November 1937, a talent scout for 20th Century Fox arrived in Dallas looking for new faces. Predictably, it was one tense setand a demanding one too. Life even got a bit scarier when an unknown individual started blackmailing the actress, demanding that she pay them $2,000 or face bodily harm. At 13, she was appearing on the stage with little theater groups. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. 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Collections you 've created before new faces agreed to separate from her husband Marley on July,... N'T outstanding, but there was nobody there they never expected this so-called punishment backfire! Away her sorrows her into a fabulous land where, overnight, i was a Western, Two Flags (! It through me. `` young age did a lot of damage Darnells. Was the only one of the big age gap, Marley also introduced to... It for herself, and once again she faced betrayal assigned a voice coach to to...
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